Suleman Chitera 
By Suleman Chitera
Gazette Media has given K1 million to the Sports Writers Association of Malawi (SWAM) ahead of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to support capacity building and strengthen sports journalism across different sporting disciplines in the country.
The AGM is scheduled for November 13 to 15, 2026 in Salima and is expected to bring together about 200 sports journalists from across Malawi who will also use the gathering to celebrate World Sports Journalists Day.
Speaking after making the donation in Blantyre on Friday, Gazette Media Lead Consultant, McDonald Chapalapata said the support reflects the organisation’s commitment to promoting quality sports reporting, particularly as sports coverage continues to expand beyond football.
Chapalapata said SWAM provides an important platform for journalists covering various sporting activities, including basketball, golf and netball, making the AGM an opportunity for sports writers to exchange ideas, build professional networks and improve their reporting skills.
He explained that Gazette Media’s decision to support the association was also informed by its work with clients involved in sponsoring different sporting disciplines.
“We are a media-oriented company, and we have different clients who are involved in sponsoring various sporting disciplines. We are talking about football, women’s football, golf, basketball and netball,” he said.
He added that journalists with improved knowledge and reporting skills from the knowledge gained at the AGM would be able to produce accurate, informative and engaging stories that give visibility to different sporting disciplines and the organisations supporting them.
“This is just the beginning of a long-term relationship with SWAM. We have supported them before, including when they approached us for partnership, and we believe this is a good relationship that we should continue building,” he said
In his remarks, SWAM General Secretary, Wesysylas Chirwa described the donation as significant support to the association, saying it had come at an important time as preparations for the AGM were underway.
“We sincerely thank the Gazette Media family for the support rendered to the sports journalists. We greatly value this partnership and wish the company continued success in its business endeavours. We hope to see the relationship grow even stronger in the years ahead,” he said
